The Absolute Godspeed of Infinite Worlds

"You've got a fire burning inside you, huh!"

While he was training in the forest clearing, Nene stared at his heaving body, drooling slightly, and muttered thoughtfully.

"…Looks like… hah! There's a sign of that… huh?!"

Eiji, drenched in sweat, was pushing his body under twenty times gravity. Straining to speak, he managed a reply.

"Your aura's completely different today. You're putting in way more effort than usual."

Nene nodded sagely.

"It's been forever since I've seen you this mad—probably not since you were a kid!"

Ever since Eiji had pulled himself together seven or eight years ago, he rarely felt hatred toward anything.

To him, there was nothing in this world more loathsome than the memories of his childhood. Because of that, he usually dealt with people and situations calmly—even dealing with idiots didn't get under his skin.

Of course, Eiji had always been someone who wore his heart on his sleeve. If you really pissed him off, he'd blow up right there on the spot.

That said, the number of times he'd truly lost his temper was few and far between. Once with that toad woman from the Danmachi world. Another time with the puppeteer who controlled Renren just a few days ago. Even when he was beaten down, he'd never truly gotten angry.

But this time… Ikki's situation had pushed him over the edge.

It wasn't like he deeply empathized with Ikki's suffering. For them, pain and torment were just part of the package.

What really enraged him… was someone else entirely.

"Huff… Senior sister… help me grab the clay from my bag…"

Eiji collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

"Clay? Isn't that for training mana control?"

Nene waved her other folding fan, and Eiji's backpack floated into her hand. She pulled out a drink and a lump of clay and tossed them both to him.

Taking a big gulp from the drink, Eiji cupped the clay in his hands and began pouring out his mana, attempting to mold the shape of the clay with it.

Shaping clay was the most common way Blazer-type warriors trained their mana control.

Compared to techniques like walking on water or hydraulic pressing, this method was far safer, suitable for all levels. Even someone like Shizuku—who had an A-rank in mana control—used clay for training.

"Junior… your mana…?!"

Nene watched with growing confusion.

Her gaze turned strange—almost eerie—as she looked at Eiji.

He was sustaining his mana output for far longer than before. His mana had visibly grown stronger.

And not by just a little—judging by how long he was sustaining it, it might've grown by over ten times. By Blazer standards, that meant he had D-rank mana now.

"Wait… did you step into that realm?"

"Huh? What realm?"

Eiji looked completely confused at her surprised expression.

He trusted Nene completely. That was the only reason he was hiding out here to train his mana control.

After all, in this world where mana couldn't be increased through effort, a Blazer like him—who had somehow boosted his mana—was a total anomaly. If word got out, he could be dissected by the League or terrorists alike.

But… "that realm"? What the hell was that?

"So you didn't?"

Nene gave him a long, examining look.

For a brief moment, it felt like she vanished from the world entirely. An eerie sensation surged over Eiji, giving him goosebumps.

But the sensation vanished in an instant, and the atmosphere around her calmed back down.

"Yeah… you don't have that kind of presence. Damn, if you didn't step into that realm, then how did your mana increase?"

Nene looked at Eiji with gleaming curiosity.

"Uh… can I not say?"

"Big secret?"

"Yeah."

"Tch… fine."

She clicked her tongue several times in frustration, clearly unhappy.

"…So, uh, what was that 'realm' you were talking about, anyway?"

Eiji exhaled in relief, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"If you do step into that realm, can a Blazer increase their mana? I thought it was impossible to change no matter what."

"Not telling."

"…Seriously?"

Eiji sat up from the ground and looked solemnly at Nene.

In his eyes swirled a mix of unwillingness, disappointment, and faint hope. The emotional intensity of his gaze struck Nene like an explosion, making her groan under the pressure.

"Alright, alright! I'm not saying it for your sake, okay?!"

Nene hurriedly crossed her legs, her petite body squirming in the lounge chair as she tried to regain her composure. It took her a while to calm down.

"Once you reach my level, then I'll tell you. There's no point knowing it now—it'll only do more harm than good."

"Tch. Fine, whatever."

Eiji gave a reluctant nod.

She might be a bit of a pervert, but there was no denying that she genuinely cared for him. If she was being this insistent, he figured there was no point in pushing her further.

"…Still, training mana control is seriously hard…"

His mana control had been graded F.

But that didn't mean he was bad at controlling mana. In all his previous tests, his mana would burn out the moment it left his body, making proper measurements impossible—hence the lowest possible grade.

Only now, after reaching D-rank mana and being capable of sustaining it, could he even start to see where his potential truly lay.

But so far… things weren't looking good.

Eiji stared at the lump of clay in his hands, now a mangled mess. He sighed heavily.

Time passed quickly.

It had already been eight days since Ikki was taken away. The calendar had rolled into late June.

And today—at last—the nineteenth round of the selection matches came to a close.

"So that means… only one round left."

Eiji casually stepped off the stage, having completely overpowered his opponent and pounded him into the ground. Even after the victory was announced, he walked away as if it were just another routine chore.

"Damn, even Shizuya Kirihara got wrecked?!"

"He's supposed to be insanely strong—his ability lets him completely erase his presence. Sight, scent, heat, even aura—cameras can't even capture him. He's only lost twice so far. But Eiji saw right through him instantly and beat him down the whole fight without giving him a chance to fight back…"

"Guess the online rumors about his battle instincts being insane were true."

"That 'Fallen Angel' nickname doesn't suit the Angel-sama anymore… but what should we call him now?"

"I heard he really wants to be called the 'Aurora Swordmaster,' but come on… that's so lame. Doesn't suit him at all."

"I like 'White Rose'—it fits!"

"I've got one too—listen to this…"

After the match ended.

Eiji returned to the prep room and pulled out his student handbook.

The moment he opened it, a new message popped up—unread and sent by that rich lady from the other side.

[The League branch made me switch opponents!]

A glint flashed through Eiji's eyes.

"So it's finally happening."

He turned and left the arena, heading straight toward the operations committee office.

***

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